Windshield temperature controller



)une 30, 1953 J, D, PETERSON 2,644,065

WINDSHIELD TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER Original Filed Dec. 3l, 1948 FIG. 1 WG. 2`

IN V EN TOR.

HJOEZ. D.v PETERSON Patented June 30, 1953 WINDSHIELD TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER Joel D. Peterson, Rivervale, N. J., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, Teterboro, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Original application December 31, 1948, Serial No. 68,594. Divided and this application March 21, 1950, Serial No. 151,009

This application is a division of application Serial No. 68,594, iiled December 31, 1948 and relates to a novel temperature sensing device for a windshield, and method of making such device.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel temperature sensing element which may be embedded in the windshield of an aircraft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel temperature indicating device in the form of a spring of iine wire having a positive temperature coeilicient of resistance such as nickel and tungsten and having suflicient elasticity as to permit fabrication of the windshield with the device without breakage of the ne wire Spring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method for fabricating a windshield for an aircraft with the novel temperature sensing device.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the following descrip tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein two embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of a windshield wth the thermal indicator embedded therein.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a modiiied form of thermal indicator.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end View of the windshield of Figure 1 showing the layer construction of the windshield and with the thermal indicator embedded therein.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the spring construction of the thermal indicator.

Temperature sensing element Referring to the drawing, the temperature sensing element indicated in Figure 1 may be formed in a curved loop I of a suitable temperature sensitive material having a positive temperature coeicient of resistance such as tungsten or nickel. The loop, as shown in Figure 1, may be molded into a transparent disk 2 of a material such as vinyl resin, and shimstock connecting leads 4 and 5 provided. Alternately, the temperature sensing element may be made, for example, of ten inches of .002. inch diameter nickel wire wound in a flat spiral 6 to an outside diameter of one inch. The fiat spiral may in turn be molded into a transparent plastic disk 'I of a material such as vinyl resin and shimstock cons Claims.' (C1. 201-63) 2 necting leads 8 and 9 provided as shown in Figure 2.

The temperature sensing element I and 6 of Figures l and 2 is wound in the form of a `fine wire spring so as to give to the element suiiicient elasticity so that the same will not break in the fabrication of the element in the plastic disk. The fine wire spring construction of the temperature sensing element is best shown in the enlarged fragmentary View of Figure 4.

Windshield The windshield I4 is formed with clear plastic or glass outer layers I5 and I6, as shown in Figure 3, kand clear plastic inner layers I1, I8, I9, 20, 2| and 22 formed of vinyl resin or other suitable plastic material well known in the art. Between the glass outer layer I5 and the inner layer I1, there is provided a transparent electrical con'-l ductive coating 23 of a material well known in the art.

An opening 24 is provided in theilayers I8 and I9 of a size equal to that of thedisk of the temperature sensing element. As shown in Figure 3, the disk 2 is embedded in the opening 24 of the plastic layers I8 and I9 and the layers I8 and I9 positioned in place with relation to the several layers I5, I6, Il, 20, 2| and 22, as shown in Figure 3.

The connecting leads 4 and 5 are brought out between the plastic layers I8 and I9 and suflicient high temperatures are then applied to the entire assembly so that disk 2 blends with the layers of clear plastic material so as to form an integral part of the windshield assembly. The plane of the fine wire loop I or spiral 6 is arranged in parallel relation to the plane of the conducting coating 23 on the glass and may be positioned at a distance of, for example, .030 inch away from it, being separated by the layer I1 of the plastic material. The plastic material for the disks 2 and I may be the same as that for the layers I 8 and I9 of the windshield, so that in the completed panel only the small loop I and leads 4-5 or spiral 6 and leads 8-9 will be visible in the corners of the windshield I4.

As explained in the parent application Serial No. 68,594, led December 31, 1948, the transparent electrical conductive coating or resistor 23 may serve as a heating element for the windshield I4 to eiect the removal and prevention of the accumulation of ice thereon. The leads 4 and 5 from the temperature sensing element I of Figure 1 and the leads 8 and 9 of the temperature sensing element 6 of Figure 2 are adaptand thereby the temperature of the windshield' Although only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various changes in the form and relative arrangements of the parts may be made to suit requirements.

What is claimed is:

l. A Windshield comprising layers of 'trans-` parent material, a conductor formed of a material having an electrical resistance which varies' with changes in temperature, a transparent member vformed of a clear material in which said conductor is embedded, and said member being embedded lbetween said layers of transparent material.

2. The combination deiined by claim 1 in which said conductor consists of a iine wire spring.

3. The combination dened by claim 1 in which said conductor consists of a nat spiral ii'ne Wire spring'.

4. A transparent member comprising layers of transparent materiaLan electrical heating means for said transparent member, a temperature sensitive element embedded in the layers of the transparent material, and electrical conductors leading from said temperature sensitive element to control said heating means.

5. A transparent member comprising a plurality of layers of transparent material includ-- ing outer layers of glass and an inner layer of resin, a temperature sensitive element embedded in said inner layer of resin, and electrical conductors leading to said temperature sensitive element through said inner layer.

6. In a transparent member comprising a plurality of layers of transparent material including outer layers of glass and an inner layer of resin between said outer layers of glass, and an electrical heating means adjacent to a surface of at least one of said outer layers of glass; the improvement comprising a temperature sensitive element embedded in said inner layer of resin, and electrical conductors extending from said temperature sensitive element through said inner layer'of resin to the exterior to effectively control said heating means.

7. In a transparent member comprising a plurality of layers of transparent material includf ing at leastrone layer of glass, a layer of transparent resin, and transparent electrical conductive heating meansbetween said layers of glass and resin; the improvement comprising a tempe'raturesensitive element embedded in said layer of resin to sense the temperature of the layer of glass', and electrical conductors extending from said temperaturesensitive element for controlling the heating means.-

8. The combination comprising a-transparent member, electrical heating means for said member, a temperature sensitive element embedded in said member, and electrical conductors leading from said element to the exterior of said member and adapted to be connected vto a controller for said heating means.

JOELD. PETERSON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,222,742 Ducret Nov. 26, 1-940 2,318,102 Ruge May 4, 1943 2,375,369 Knight May 8, 1945 2,429,420 McMasters Oct. 2l, 1947 2,470,509 Marini May 17, 1949 2,470,633 Mershon May'17, 1949 2,488,422 Mershon Nov. l5,- 1949 

